\title{\LARGE \bf {\large Dissertation Proposal:}\\
          Automatic Avoidance of Synchronization Faults in Concurrent Programs}
           %\thanks{supported in part by the 
           %NSF ECS-9414780, CCR-9520540, a General Motors Fellowship, 
           %Texas Education Board ARP-320 and an IBM grant} } 
\author{
{\Large \it Ashis Tarafdar} \\ \\
Supervising Professor:\ \ Vijay K. Garg\\ \\
Department of Computer Sciences \\
University of Texas at Austin \\
Austin, TX~~78712 
}
\date{August 13, 1998}
\maketitle

\begin{abstract} 

Concurrent (multi-threaded or distributed) programs have been prone to
synchronization faults, such as race-conditions and deadlocks.
Traditionally, avoiding these faults has depended largely on the skill
of the programmer. We propose a system in which such faults are
automatically avoided at run-time.  An automatic fault avoidance system
would consist of two components:  fault detection and fault avoidance.
These components are specific forms of two more general problems:
predicate detection and predicate control.  We summarize our preliminary
results in solving these problems and outline directions of future
research in these areas. We propose to study the practical feasibility
and utility of such a system by building a prototype implementation.

\end{abstract}
